The convergence of circuit-switched networks, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and packet-switched networks, such as the Internet, has made it possible to transmit voice and data across disparate networks. Currently, packet-switched telephony has evolved to allow packet-switched-based telephones, referred to in general as Internet Protocol (IP) telephones, to provide all of the services and features of traditional circuit-based telephones in addition to supporting innumerable web-based applications and services.
Currently, IP telephones either require sophisticated, self-contained control systems or rely on a dedicated server application running on a network-based server. For the self-contained IP telephones, the significant amount of hardware and software required to allow the telephone to be self-supportive renders it cost prohibitive, especially for business applications requiring a large number of telephones.
Although more cost effective, IP telephones acting as clients and relying on a network server for operation tend to limit the user's ability to take advantage of additional features and configurability afforded to IP telephones. In particular, a terminal proxy server, which is relatively removed from the associated IP telephones, will typically serve a large number of telephones and provide each of those telephones with a common configuration. Currently, the ability of users to configure an individual telephone or group of telephones to accommodate specific needs in an efficient and user-friendly manner does not exist. These telephones either require configuration through the telephone interface itself or by a dedicated administrator capable of interacting with the server applications running on the terminal proxy server.
As such, there is a need for a cost effective IP telephony solution for applications requiring multiple IP telephones. Further, there is a need for a way to efficiently configure and customize the telephones on an individual or group basis to take advantage of the extended functionality provided by packet-switched communications and web-based applications.